THE DAILY WHIP: THURSDAY, MAY 31, 2012

House Meets At:

First Vote Predicted:

Last Vote Predicted:

10:00 a.m.: Morning Hour12:00 p.m.: Legislative Business

Fifteen “One Minutes” per side

1:30 – 2:30 p.m.

10:00 – 11:00 p.m.

**Members are advised that close votes, including a potential vote on an amendment to H.R. 5854 – Military Construction And Veterans Affairs Act related to Project Labor Agreements (PLAs), are expected this week and that any expected absences should be reported to the Whip’s office at x5-3130.

**Members are also advised that the GOP Leadership has announced that votes will occur after 7:00 p.m. when the House is considering Appropriations bills, and that the House will be voting late into the evening tonight.

For H.R. 5743 the Rules Committee has recommended a structured Rule that provides for one hour of general debate equally divided between the Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee on Intelligence. The Rule allows 9 amendments debatable for 10 minutes equally divided between the offeror and an opponent. It allows one motion to recommit, with or without instructions. It also waives all points of order against the legislation.

For H.R. 5854, H.R. 5325 and H.R. 5855, the Rules committee has recommended an open Rule that allows any amendments that comply with House Rules to be considered. The Rule provides for one hour of general debate for each bill equally divided between the Chair and Ranking Member of the Committee on Appropriations. The Rule allows any Member to submit an amendment under the 5-minute Rule, but allows the Chair to give priority in recognition to those amendments pre-printed in the Congressional Record. It also allows pro forma amendments and motions to recommit with or without instructions.

H.R. 5743 – Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Rep. Rogers (MI) – Intelligence)H.R. 5743 authorizes classified amounts of money in FY 2013 for 16 U.S. intelligence agencies and intelligence-related activities. The bill is about 4% below last year’s enacted budget and holds personnel levels at last year’s levels. For questions on the bill, contact the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence to arrange Member access to the classified annex.

The Rule makes in order 9 amendments, each debatable for 10 minutes, equally divided between the offeror and an opponent. The amendments are:

Rep. Rogers (MI) Manager’s Amendment Would strike sections 401 and 403 to ensure compliance with House Rules relating to provisions regarding appropriated funds.Rep. Thompson (CA) Amendment Would require the Director of National Intelligence to report to Congress how the Intelligence Community can improve the methods by which subcontractors are granted security clearances and notified of classified contracting opportunities within the federal governmentRep. Conyers/Rep. Ellison/Rep. Lee (CA) Amendment Would require the Director of National Intelligence to submit to the congressional intelligence committees a report containing an assessment of the consequences of a military strike against Iran within 60 daysRep. Farr Amendment Would establish the sense of Congress that those assigned to lead the development of training, tools, and methodologies in support of cyber security, should be reminded to include foreign language and culture in the development processRep. Cuellar Amendment Would authorize the Director of National Intelligence to participate in information sharing with Mexico and Canada for purposes of border security and combating drug traffickingRep. Hahn Amendment Would require the Civil Liberties Protection Officer to ensure that the coordination and training between the intelligence community and local law enforcement agencies shall not violate the constitutional safeguards of racial and ethnic minoritiesRep. Jackson-Lee Amendment (#7) Would establish the a Sense of Congress that the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency should take such actions as the Director considers necessary to increase the recruitment and training of ethnic minorities as officers and employees of the Central Intelligence AgencyRep. Jackson-Lee Amendment (#8) Would establish the Sense of Congress that the intelligence community should take all appropriate actions necessary to protect the civil liberties of religious and ethnic minoritiesRep. Myrick/Rep. Wolf Amendment Would require a report from the Director of National Intelligence that would identify and assess various risks in information technology supply chains

H.R. 5854 – Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 (Rep. Culberson – Appropriations) H.R. 5854 appropriates a totalof $146.4 billion for veterans' programs and military construction in FY 2013, including $71.7 billion in discretionary budget authority, which is equal to the current level but is $694 million (1%) less than the President’s request. The measure appropriates $74.6 billion for mandatory veterans' compensation and benefits programs, and includes $54.5 billion in advance FY 2014 funding for VA medical programs. The bill provides $10.6 billion for military construction projects – a decrease of $2.4 billion below last year’s level and $573 million below the President’s request.

While total discretionary spending for FY 2013 is roughly equal to current funding, the bill provides $2.3 billion more for discretionary veterans programs and $2.4 billion less for military construction. It also includes language that would restrict the U.S. government, when awarding major construction projects, from either requiring or prohibiting Project Labor Agreements.

TOMORROW’S OUTLOOKThe GOP Leadership has announced the following schedule for Friday, June 1: The House will meet at 9:00 a.m. for legislative business. The House is expected to complete consideration of H.R. 5854 – Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013 and may begin consideration of H.R. 5325 - Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2013.

The Daily Quote

“Some conservative activists are unhappy with the House Republican leadership’s summer floor agenda, finding it short on opportunities to draw sharp contrasts with President Obama and congressional Democrats. The groups say the plan detailed last week by Majority Leader Eric Cantor focuses on routine, business-as-usual matters and represents the abandonment of conservative principles in pursuit of bipartisan compromises. Andy Roth, the Club for Growth’s vice president for government affairs, called Cantor’s agenda ‘disappointing . . . and not conservative enough.’ Groups including Roth’s have held the feet of the new Republican majority to the fire during the 112th Congress, particularly on fiscal issues, and they have made life difficult for House GOP leaders by rejecting any suggestion of compromise with the Obama administration and the Democratic majority in the Senate. They charge that GOP leaders have been too willing to compromise on high-priority issues including taxes and health care.”